Device, vehicle, control method, program, and display device

Abstract

To provide a technology for preventing an accident caused by a vehicle for which driving assistance is performed.SOLUTION: An application processing unit 76 executes an application as a notification device mounted in a vehicle. In the application processing unit 76, an input unit 110 acquires information indicating that the vehicle is receiving driving assistance. In the application processing unit 76, an output unit 112 outputs a notification to another vehicle in accordance with the information acquired by the input unit 110.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a notification technique, and more particularly to a device, a vehicle, a control method, a program, and a display device that output a notification according to predetermined information. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to prevent the vehicle from falling into a dangerous driving state, a driving support system has been proposed that automatically outputs a warning to the driver of the vehicle to avoid danger. In this system, the driving state of the vehicle and the presence of an obstacle ahead are detected to determine the warning output (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-157482 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When there is a vehicle being driven with driving assistance such as the Green Wave (hereinafter referred to as "GW"), drivers of surrounding vehicles who see it may not be able to understand the reason for its behavior such as acceleration and deceleration, which may result in a rear-end collision or make other vehicles feel uncomfortable and lead to dangerous driving such as tailgating.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has a general purpose to provide a technique for preventing accidents caused by vehicles receiving driving assistance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, an apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is an apparatus for a vehicle, and includes an acquisition unit that acquires information indicating that the vehicle is traveling in an autonomous driving mode, and an output unit that outputs an instruction to a display unit to display that the vehicle is traveling in an autonomous driving mode based on the information. The output unit turns on the display unit in response to the instruction output from the output unit, and information related to autonomous driving in which the vehicle travels autonomously is displayed on the display unit, and the display is configured to allow drivers of other vehicles to recognize that the vehicle is traveling in an autonomous driving mode, except that the display is displayed to the rear.

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention is a control method for a vehicle, which includes obtaining information indicating that the vehicle is traveling in an autonomous driving mode, outputting an instruction to a display unit that lights up in accordance with the instruction to display that the vehicle is traveling in an autonomous driving mode based on the information, and displaying information related to autonomous driving in which the vehicle travels autonomously on the display unit, and, except for displaying the display rearward, allowing drivers of other vehicles to recognize that the vehicle is traveling in an autonomous driving mode.

[0008] Yet another aspect of the present invention is a vehicle. The vehicle includes a display unit that is turned on. The display unit displays information related to an autonomous driving type automatic driving in which the vehicle drives autonomously, and the display is configured to enable a driver of another vehicle to recognize that the driving assistance of the vehicle is due to the automatic driving by the display unit, except that the display is displayed on the rear side.

[0009] Yet another aspect of the present invention is a display device. The device is a display device including a display unit that lights up. The display unit displays information related to autonomous driving, in which the vehicle drives autonomously, and the display is configured to enable a driver of another vehicle to recognize that the driving assistance of the vehicle is due to the autonomous driving, by the display on the display unit, except that the display is displayed on the rear side.

[0010] Any combination of the above components, and any transformation of the present invention into a method, device, system, recording medium, computer program, etc., are also effective as aspects of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, accidents caused by vehicles receiving driving assistance can be reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a base station device in FIG. [Diagram 3] 3(a)-(d) are diagrams showing frame formats defined in the communication system of FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a terminal device mounted on the vehicle shown in FIG. 1; [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a protocol stack in the terminal device of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating another configuration of the communication system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an application processing unit in FIG. [Figure 8] 8(a)-(c) are diagrams showing the data structure of data output from the application processing unit in FIG. [Figure 9] 6 is a flowchart showing a procedure for transmitting a packet signal by the terminal device of FIG. 5. [Figure 10] 7 is a flowchart showing another procedure for transmitting a packet signal by the terminal device of FIG. 5. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an application processing unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 12 is a flowchart showing an estimation procedure performed by the application processing unit in FIG. 11. [Figure 13]FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a notification device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Example 1 Before specifically describing the first embodiment of the present invention, the knowledge on which the present invention is based will be described. The first embodiment of the present invention relates to a communication system that performs vehicle-to-vehicle communication between terminal devices mounted on vehicles and also performs road-to-vehicle communication from a base station device installed at an intersection or the like to the terminal devices. Such a communication system is also called ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems). ITS is specified, for example, in the standard specification for 700 MHz band intelligent road transport systems (Association of Radio Industries and Businesses). The communication system uses an access control function called CSMA / CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance) like a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) conforming to a standard such as IEEE802.11. Therefore, the same wireless channel is shared by a plurality of terminal devices. On the other hand, in ITS, it is necessary to transmit information to an unspecified number of terminal devices. In order to efficiently perform such transmission, the present communication system broadcasts packet signals.

[0014] That is, for vehicle-to-vehicle communication, the terminal device broadcasts a packet signal that stores information such as the speed or position of the vehicle. The other terminal devices receive the packet signal and recognize the approach of a vehicle based on the information. Here, in order to reduce interference between the road-to-vehicle communication and the vehicle-to-vehicle communication, the base station device repeatedly specifies a frame that includes multiple subframes. For the road-to-vehicle communication, the base station device selects one of the multiple subframes and broadcasts a packet signal that stores control information, etc., during the period of the beginning of the selected subframe.

[0015] The control information includes information regarding a period during which the base station device broadcasts a packet signal (hereinafter referred to as a "road-to-vehicle transmission period"). The terminal device identifies the road-to-vehicle transmission period based on the control information, and broadcasts a packet signal using the CSMA method during a period other than the road-to-vehicle transmission period (hereinafter referred to as a "vehicle-to-vehicle transmission period"). As a result, road-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-to-vehicle communication are time-division multiplexed. Note that a terminal device that cannot receive control information from the base station device, i.e., a terminal device that exists outside the area formed by the base station device, transmits a packet signal using the CSMA method regardless of the frame configuration.

[0016] Next, an outline of this embodiment will be described. When a vehicle decelerates and stops due to a red light, and then restarts, a large amount of energy is lost. In order to reduce this energy loss, GW driving has been proposed. GW driving is a driving mode that controls the speed of a vehicle so that the vehicle can pass through a green light, thereby realizing a smooth flow of traffic. In GW driving, the vehicle side and the equipment side work together to present to the driver a driving method that reduces energy loss. For example, a packet signal notified from a base station device includes signal information, and the signal information indicates the timing of a red light or a green light. A terminal device mounted on a vehicle obtains the signal information by receiving the packet signal. The GW control device of the vehicle derives the speed, etc., required to pass through an intersection on a green light based on the signal information and route information from the car navigation device, and notifies the driver of the result.

[0017] In such GW traveling, acceleration and deceleration are performed at different timings than in normal traveling, but the drivers of the surrounding vehicles are not aware of the reason for such driving. In order to reduce the occurrence of collision accidents caused by this, the notification device according to this embodiment executes the following processing. The notification device may be realized as a single hardware device, but here, as an example, the notification device is implemented as an application of a terminal device. The terminal device stores information indicating that the vehicle is under GW control in a packet signal and notifies the packet signal. Another terminal device mounted on a following vehicle receives the packet signal and notifies the driver of the other terminal device that the vehicle traveling ahead is under GW control. In the following, for clarity of explanation, 1. An overview of a communication system for notifying a packet signal will be explained, and then 2. Notification of GW control will be explained.

[0018] 1. Overview of the communication system FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a communication system 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This corresponds to a case where one intersection is viewed from above. The communication system 100 includes a base station device 10, a first vehicle 12a, a second vehicle 12b, a third vehicle 12c, a fourth vehicle 12d, a fifth vehicle 12e, a sixth vehicle 12f, a seventh vehicle 12g, and an eighth vehicle 12h, which are collectively referred to as vehicles 12, and a network 202. Here, only the first vehicle 12a is shown, but each vehicle 12 is equipped with a terminal device 14. In addition, an area 212 is formed around the base station device 10, and an outside area 214 is formed outside the area 212.

[0019] As shown in the figure, a road running horizontally, i.e., from left to right, and a road running vertically, i.e., from top to bottom, intersect at the center. Here, the upper side of the figure corresponds to the direction "north", the left side corresponds to the direction "west", the lower side corresponds to the direction "south", and the right side corresponds to the direction "east". The intersection of the two roads is an "intersection". The first vehicle 12a and the second vehicle 12b are moving from left to right, and the third vehicle 12c and the fourth vehicle 12d are moving from right to left. The fifth vehicle 12e and the sixth vehicle 12f are moving from top to bottom, and the seventh vehicle 12g and the eighth vehicle 12h are moving from bottom to top.

[0020] In the communication system 100, a base station device 10 is fixedly installed at an intersection. The base station device 10 controls communication between terminal devices. The base station device 10 repeatedly generates a frame including a plurality of subframes based on a signal received from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite (not shown) or a frame formed by another base station device 10 (not shown). Here, a provision is made such that a road-to-vehicle transmission period can be set at the beginning of each subframe.

[0021] The base station device 10 selects a subframe for which a road-to-vehicle transmission period has not been set by another base station device 10, from among multiple subframes in a frame. The base station device 10 sets a road-to-vehicle transmission period at the beginning of the selected subframe. The base station device 10 broadcasts a packet signal during the set road-to-vehicle transmission period. Multiple packet signals may be broadcast during the road-to-vehicle transmission period. The packet signal also includes, for example, accident information, congestion information, traffic light information, and the like. The packet signal also includes information regarding the timing at which the road-to-vehicle transmission period is set and control information regarding the frame.

[0022] As described above, the terminal device 14 is mounted on the vehicle 12 and is mobile. When the terminal device 14 receives a packet signal from the base station device 10, it estimates that it is in the area 212. When the terminal device 14 is in the area 212, it generates a frame based on the control information included in the packet signal, particularly information on the timing when the road-to-vehicle transmission period is set and information on the frame. As a result, the frames generated in each of the multiple terminal devices 14 are synchronized with the frame generated in the base station device 10. The terminal device 14 broadcasts a packet signal in the vehicle-to-vehicle transmission period, which is a period different from the road-to-vehicle transmission period. Here, CSMA / CA is executed in the vehicle-to-vehicle transmission period. On the other hand, when the terminal device 14 estimates that it is outside the area 214, it broadcasts a packet signal by executing CSMA / CA regardless of the frame configuration.

[0023] 2 shows the configuration of the base station device 10. The base station device 10 includes an antenna 20, an RF unit 22, a modulation / demodulation unit 24, a processing unit 26, a control unit 28, and a network communication unit 30. The processing unit 26 also includes a frame definition unit 32, a selection unit 34, and a generation unit 36.

[0024] As a reception process, the RF unit 22 receives a packet signal from a terminal device 14 or another base station device 10 (not shown) at the antenna 20. The RF unit 22 performs frequency conversion on the received radio frequency packet signal to generate a baseband packet signal. Furthermore, the RF unit 22 outputs the baseband packet signal to a modulation / demodulation unit 24. Generally, a baseband packet signal is formed by an in-phase component and a quadrature component, so two signal lines should be shown, but here only one signal line is shown for clarity of the drawing. The RF unit 22 also includes an LNA (Low Noise Amplifier), a mixer, an AGC, and an A / D conversion unit.

[0025] As a transmission process, the RF unit 22 performs frequency conversion on the baseband packet signal input from the modem unit 24 to generate a radio frequency packet signal. Furthermore, the RF unit 22 transmits the radio frequency packet signal from the antenna 20 during a road-to-vehicle transmission period. The RF unit 22 also includes a PA (Power Amplifier), a mixer, and a D / A conversion unit. For example, a 700 MHz band is used as the radio frequency.

[0026] As reception processing, the modem unit 24 performs demodulation on the baseband packet signal from the RF unit 22. Furthermore, the modem unit 24 outputs the demodulated result to the processing unit 26. As transmission processing, the modem unit 24 performs modulation on the data from the processing unit 26. Furthermore, the modem unit 24 outputs the modulated result to the RF unit 22 as a baseband packet signal. Here, since the communication system 100 supports the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) modulation method, the modem unit 24 also performs FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) as reception processing and IFFT (Inverse Fast Fourier Transform) as transmission processing.

[0027] The frame definition unit 32 receives a signal from a GPS satellite (not shown) and acquires time information based on the received signal. A known technique may be used to acquire the time information, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here. The frame definition unit 32 generates a plurality of frames based on the time information. For example, the frame definition unit 32 divides a period of "1 sec" into 10 based on the timing indicated by the time information to generate 10 frames of "100 msec". By repeating such processing, the frame is defined so that it is repeated. The frame definition unit 32 may detect control information from the demodulation result and generate a frame based on the detected control information. Such processing corresponds to generating a frame synchronized with the timing of a frame formed by another base station device 10.

[0028] 3(a)-(d) show frame formats defined in the communication system 100. FIG. 3(a) shows the configuration of a frame. The frame is formed by N subframes indicated as the first subframe to the Nth subframe. This means that the frame is formed by multiplexing subframes that the terminal device 14 can use for reporting for a plurality of times. For example, if the length of the frame is 100 msec and N is 8, a subframe with a length of 12.5 msec is defined. N may be a number other than 8. FIG. 3(b)-(d) will be explained later, and we will return to FIG. 2.

[0029] The selection unit 34 selects a subframe in which a road-to-vehicle transmission period should be set from among a plurality of subframes included in the frame. Specifically, the selection unit 34 accepts a frame specified by the frame specification unit 32. The selection unit 34 also accepts an instruction regarding the selected subframe via an interface (not shown). The selection unit 34 selects a subframe corresponding to the instruction. Alternatively, the selection unit 34 may automatically select a subframe. In this case, the selection unit 34 inputs a demodulation result from another base station device 10 or a terminal device 14 (not shown) via the RF unit 22 and the modem unit 24. The selection unit 34 extracts the demodulation result from the other base station device 10 from the input demodulation results. The selection unit 34 specifies a subframe in which a demodulation result has been accepted, by specifying a subframe in which a demodulation result has been accepted.

[0030] This corresponds to identifying a subframe in which a road-to-vehicle transmission period is not set by another base station device 10, that is, an unused subframe. If there are multiple unused subframes, the selection unit 34 randomly selects one subframe. If there is no unused subframe, that is, if each of the multiple subframes is in use, the selection unit 34 obtains the reception power corresponding to the demodulation result and preferentially selects a subframe with a smaller reception power.

[0031] FIG. 3(b) shows the configuration of a frame generated by a first base station device 10a (not shown). The first base station device 10a sets a road-to-vehicle transmission period at the beginning of the first subframe. Furthermore, the first base station device 10a sets a vehicle-to-vehicle transmission period following the road-to-vehicle transmission period in the first subframe. The vehicle-to-vehicle transmission period is a period during which the terminal device 14 can broadcast a packet signal. In other words, the first base station device 10a is stipulated to be able to broadcast a packet signal in the road-to-vehicle transmission period, which is the beginning period of the first subframe, and to be able to broadcast a packet signal in the vehicle-to-vehicle transmission period other than the road-to-vehicle transmission period in the frame. Furthermore, the first base station device 10a sets only the vehicle-to-vehicle transmission period from the second subframe to the Nth subframe.

[0032] FIG. 3(c) shows the configuration of a frame generated by a second base station device 10b (not shown). The second base station device 10b sets a road-to-vehicle transmission period at the beginning of the second subframe. The second base station device 10b also sets a vehicle-to-vehicle transmission period in the first subframe, the third subframe to the Nth subframe, after the road-to-vehicle transmission period in the second subframe. FIG. 3(d) shows the configuration of a frame generated by a third base station device 10c (not shown). The third base station device 10c sets a road-to-vehicle transmission period at the beginning of the third subframe. The third base station device 10c also sets a vehicle-to-vehicle transmission period in the first subframe, the second subframe, the fourth subframe to the Nth subframe, after the road-to-vehicle transmission period in the third subframe. In this way, the multiple base station devices 10 select different subframes from each other and set a road-to-vehicle transmission period at the beginning of the selected subframe. Return to FIG. 2. The selection unit 34 outputs the number of the selected subframe to the generation unit 36.

[0033] The generating unit 36 ​​receives the number of the subframe from the selecting unit 34. The generating unit 36 ​​sets a road-to-vehicle transmission period in the subframe of the received subframe number, and generates a packet signal to be notified in the road-to-vehicle transmission period. When multiple packet signals are transmitted in one road-to-vehicle transmission period, the generating unit 36 ​​generates them. The packet signal is composed of control information and a payload. The control information includes the subframe number in which the road-to-vehicle transmission period is set. The payload includes, for example, accident information, traffic congestion information, and traffic light information. These data are acquired from the network 202 (not shown) by the network communication unit 30. The processing unit 26 causes the modem unit 24 and the RF unit 22 to broadcast the packet signal in the road-to-vehicle transmission period. The control unit 28 controls the processing of the entire base station device 10.

[0034] This configuration can be realized in hardware terms by the CPU, memory, and other LSIs of any computer, and in software terms by programs loaded into memory, but here we depict the functional blocks realized by the cooperation of these. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by hardware alone or a combination of hardware and software.

[0035] 4 shows the configuration of the terminal device 14 mounted on the vehicle 12. The terminal device 14 includes an antenna 50, an RF unit 52, a modulation / demodulation unit 54, a processing unit 56, and a control unit 58. The processing unit 56 includes a timing specification unit 60, a transfer determination unit 62, an acquisition unit 64, a generation unit 66, a user IF unit 68, a notification unit 70, an application processing unit 76, and an application management unit 78. The timing specification unit 60 also includes an extraction unit 72 and a carrier sense unit 74. The antenna 50, the RF unit 52, and the modulation / demodulation unit 54 execute the same processes as the antenna 20, the RF unit 22, and the modulation / demodulation unit 24 in FIG. 2. The differences will be mainly described here.

[0036] In the reception process, the modem unit 54 and the processing unit 56 receive packet signals from other terminal devices 14 (not shown) or the base station device 10. As described above, the modem unit 54 and the processing unit 56 receive packet signals from the base station device 10 during the road-to-vehicle transmission period, and receive packet signals from other terminal devices 14 during the vehicle-to-vehicle transmission period.

[0037] When the demodulation result from the modem unit 54 is a packet signal from the base station device 10 (not shown), the extraction unit 72 identifies the timing of the subframe in which the road-to-vehicle transmission period is arranged. At that time, the extraction unit 72 estimates that the base station device 10 is located within the area 212 of FIG. 1. The extraction unit 72 generates a frame based on the timing of the subframe and the contents of the message header of the packet signal. As a result, the extraction unit 72 generates a frame synchronized with the frame formed in the base station device 10. When the source of the packet signal is another terminal device 14, the extraction unit 72 omits the process of generating the synchronized frame. When the base station device 10 is located within the area 212, the extraction unit 72 identifies the road-to-vehicle transmission period that is being used, and then identifies the remaining vehicle-to-vehicle transmission period. The extraction unit 72 outputs information regarding the frame and subframe timing and the vehicle-to-vehicle transmission period to the carrier sense unit 74.

[0038] On the other hand, when the extraction unit 72 does not receive a packet signal from the base station device 10, that is, when the extraction unit 72 does not generate a frame synchronized with the base station device 10, the extraction unit 72 estimates that the device is located outside the area 214 in Fig. 1. When the extraction unit 72 is located outside the area 214, the extraction unit 72 instructs the carrier sense unit 74 to perform carrier sense that is unrelated to the frame configuration.

[0039] The carrier sense unit 74 receives information on the timing of frames and subframes and the inter-vehicle transmission period from the extraction unit 72. The carrier sense unit 74 determines the transmission timing by starting CSMA / CA within the inter-vehicle transmission period. This corresponds to setting a NAV (Network Allocation Vector) for the road-to-vehicle transmission period and performing carrier sense outside the period in which the NAV is set. On the other hand, when the carrier sense unit 74 is instructed by the extraction unit 72 to perform carrier sense that is unrelated to the frame configuration, it determines the transmission timing by performing CSMA / CA without considering the frame configuration. The carrier sense unit 74 notifies the determined transmission timing to the modem unit 54 and the RF unit 52, and causes the packet signal to be broadcast.

[0040] The transfer decision unit 62 controls the transfer of the control information. The transfer decision unit 62 extracts information to be transferred from the control information. The transfer decision unit 62 generates information to be transferred based on the extracted information. Here, the description of this process is omitted. The transfer decision unit 62 outputs the information to be transferred, that is, a part of the control information, to the generation unit 66. The generation unit 66 accepts data from the application management unit 78 and accepts a part of the control information from the transfer decision unit 62. The data accepted from the application management unit 78 will be described later. The generation unit 66 generates a packet signal by storing a part of the accepted control information in the control information and storing the data in the payload. The processing unit 56, the modem unit 54, and the RF unit 52 sequentially report the multiple packet signals generated by the generation unit 66. The control unit 58 controls the operation of the terminal device 14.

[0041] The acquisition unit 64 includes a GPS receiver, a gyroscope, a vehicle speed sensor, etc. (not shown), and acquires the location, traveling direction, moving speed, etc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as "location information") of the vehicle 12 (not shown), i.e., the vehicle 12 on which the terminal device 14 is mounted, from data supplied therefrom. The location is indicated by latitude and longitude. Since known techniques can be used to acquire these, a description thereof will be omitted here. The GPS receiver, gyroscope, vehicle speed sensor, etc. may be external to the terminal device 14. The acquisition unit 64 outputs the location information to the application processing unit 76.

[0042] The application processing unit 76 can execute a plurality of types of applications. Each application is executed between a plurality of terminal devices 14. That is, the transmitting terminal device 14 generates data and broadcasts a packet signal in which the data is stored, and the receiving terminal device 14 receives the packet signal and executes a predetermined process based on the data included in the packet signal. Therefore, one application is divided into a process on the transmitting side (hereinafter referred to as a "transmitting application") and a process on the receiving side (hereinafter referred to as a "receiving application"). Here, the transmitting application and the receiving application executed in one terminal device 14 do not have to be the same. Hereinafter, the transmitting application and the receiving application may be collectively referred to as an application.

[0043] The multiple types of applications are classified as follows. The first type is a common application. The common application is an application for warning the driver of the approach of another vehicle 12, and is executed in all terminal devices 14. When executing a transmitting application in the common application, the application processing unit 76 inputs the location information from the acquisition unit 64. In addition, the application processing unit 76 periodically outputs the location information to the application management unit 78.

[0044] On the other hand, the application processing unit 76, as a receiving side application in the common application, acquires from the application management unit 78 the location information included in the packet signal from the other terminal device 14. The application processing unit 76 detects the approach of another vehicle 12 based on the location information of the other terminal device 14 acquired from the application management unit 78 and the location information input from the acquisition unit 64. The application processing unit 76 causes the notification unit 70 to notify the approach of the other vehicle 12. The notification unit 70 executes notification to the driver via a monitor or a speaker. The second is a free application. The free application is executed only in an arbitrary terminal device 14, not in all terminal devices 14. Multiple free applications may be executed simultaneously.

[0045] Under the above-mentioned conditions, when the application processing unit 76 executes a sending application in a free application for which registration has been permitted, it outputs the generated data to the application management unit 78. On the other hand, when the application processing unit 76 executes a receiving application, it executes processing for the data received from the application management unit 78 according to the free application.

[0046] As a process for a transmitting side application, the application management unit 78 accepts an application registration request in advance from the user IF unit 68. Next, the application management unit 78 inputs a plurality of data from the application processing unit 76, and outputs a plurality of data to be used for generating a packet signal to the generation unit 66 in order to generate a packet signal based on the plurality of data.

[0047] On the other hand, the application management unit 78 receives data stored in the packet signal received by the extraction unit 72 as processing for the receiving side application. The application management unit 78 outputs, from the received data, data corresponding to the receiving side application being executed in the application processing unit 76 to the application processing unit 76. In addition, the application management unit 78 discards other data.

[0048] To summarize the above, in the communication system 100, the base station device 10 and the terminal device 14 both communicate at a cycle of about 100 ms. In addition, in order to reduce interference between the road-to-vehicle communication and the vehicle-to-vehicle communication, the road-to-vehicle communication and the vehicle-to-vehicle communication are time-division multiplexed. In order to secure the road-to-vehicle transmission period, the base station device 10 notifies surrounding terminal devices of the transmission time and road-to-vehicle communication period information included in the packet signal. The terminal device 14 in the area 212 transmits a packet signal by CSMA / CA at a timing other than the road-to-vehicle transmission period by time synchronization based on the transmission time received from the base station device 10 and stopping transmission based on the road-to-vehicle communication period information. The payload of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication is composed of data of a common application and data of a free application.

[0049] The processing in the application processing unit 76 and the application management unit 78 will be specifically described below. First, in order to explain the overall picture of the processing for a plurality of applications, a protocol stack involving the application processing unit 76 and the application management unit 78 will be used. FIG. 5 shows a protocol stack in the terminal device 14. The application processing unit 76 and the application management unit 78 in the two rows from the top are included in the terminal device 14 on the transmitting side, and therefore execute processing for the transmitting side application. The application management unit 78 and the application processing unit 76 in the two rows from the bottom are included in the terminal device 14 on the receiving side, and therefore execute processing for the receiving side application. The application processing unit 76 on the transmitting side executes a plurality of types of applications. Here, it is assumed that the applications are a common application, a first free application, a second free application, and a third free application. The application processing unit 76 outputs data corresponding to each application to the application management unit 78.

[0050] The application management unit 78 manages applications that are running in the application processing unit 76. Furthermore, the application management unit 78 on the transmitting side receives a plurality of data from the application processing unit 76 and aggregates the plurality of data for storage in one packet signal. The packet signal in which the plurality of data is aggregated is output from the application management unit 78.

[0051] The application management unit 78 on the receiving side inputs a packet signal that aggregates a plurality of data. The application management unit 78 extracts data for a common application included in the packet signal and outputs the data to the application processing unit 76. The application management unit 78 also manages free applications that are running in the application processing unit 76 at the subsequent stage, and extracts data corresponding to the running free applications. At this time, the data is extracted based on the application ID included in the free application header. The application management unit 78 outputs the extracted data to the application processing unit 76. Meanwhile, the application management unit 78 discards the remaining data. For example, since the third free application is not running in the application processing unit 76 at the subsequent stage, the application management unit 78 discards the data of the third free application. The application processing unit 76 accepts the data from the application management unit 78 and executes the application corresponding to the data. Here, it is assumed that the applications are a common application, a first free application, a second free application, and a fourth free application.

[0052] 2.GW control notification Next, a process in the case where the GW control is performed on the vehicle 12 will be described. FIG. 6 shows another configuration of the communication system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Here, for clarity of explanation, only two vehicles 12, a first vehicle 12a and a second vehicle 12b, are shown, and they are traveling from right to left in the figure. That is, the first vehicle 12a is traveling in front, followed by the second vehicle 12b. In reality, the number of vehicles 12 is not limited to two. The first vehicle 12a includes a first terminal device 14a, a GW control device 80, and a navigation device 86, and the second vehicle 12b includes a second terminal device 14b. This corresponds to the first vehicle 12a being GW controlled, and the second vehicle 12b not being GW controlled. The first vehicle 12a and the second vehicle 12b are collectively referred to as vehicles 12, and the first terminal device 14a and the second terminal device 14b are collectively referred to as terminal devices 14.

[0053] In the first vehicle 12a, the navigation device 86 receives position information from the first terminal device 14a and performs route guidance based on the position information. Therefore, the navigation device 86 derives a route from the current position to the destination based on the current position and the destination position. The navigation device 86 may receive a signal from a GPS satellite (not shown) to obtain position information. Since a known technique may be used to derive the route, a description thereof will be omitted here. The navigation device 86 creates a map image reflecting the derived route and notifies the driver of the route by displaying the map image on a monitor. Note that a voice may be output from a speaker to perform route guidance.

[0054] The GW control device 80 receives the route derived in the navigation device 86 and also receives position information and traffic light information from the first terminal device 14a. The GW control device 80 derives a speed at which the vehicle can pass through multiple traffic lights included in the route while the traffic light remains green. The GW control device 80 also checks whether the vehicle will turn right or left at an intersection along the route. The GW control device 80 instructs the driver to drive during the GW period by displaying the derived speed information and the confirmed right or left turn information on a monitor. This instruction may be given by voice. The driver performs the GW drive according to such an instruction. Apart from these, the GW control device 80 may directly control the drive of the first vehicle 12a using the derived speed information and the confirmed right or left turn information. This corresponds to automatic driving, but a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0055] The first terminal device 14a acquires position information and signal information by executing the same processing as before, and outputs this to the GW control device 80 and the navigation device 86. Furthermore, when GW travel is being executed by the GW control device 80, the first terminal device 14a stores information indicating that "GW control is in progress" in a packet signal and reports the packet signal. Furthermore, the packet signal may store information indicating that "speed is changing" and "turning right or left". The information contained in the packet signal will be described later. The function of the first terminal device 14a that executes such processing corresponds to a notification device.

[0056] The second terminal device 14b receives a packet signal from the first terminal device 14a. The second terminal device 14b extracts information indicating that "GW control is in progress" from the received packet signal and notifies the driver of this. As a result, the driver of the second vehicle 12b recognizes that the first vehicle 12a is traveling during the GW. It is also understood that the unexpected acceleration or deceleration of the first vehicle 12a is due to traveling during the GW. Furthermore, similar processing is performed when the received packet signal includes information indicating "a change in speed" and "a right or left turn," so the driver of the second vehicle 12b can recognize that the change in speed and the right or left turn of the first vehicle 12a are due to traveling during the GW.

[0057] 7 shows the configuration of the application processing unit 76. The application processing unit 76 includes an input unit 110 and an output unit 112. This corresponds to the configuration related to an application for notifying that GW control is in progress among the transmitting side applications executed in the application processing unit 76. This application is a free application, and corresponds to a notification device mounted on the vehicle 12.

[0058] The input unit 110 acquires information indicating that "GW control is in progress", that is, information indicating that the vehicle 12 is receiving driving assistance, from the GW control device 80 (not shown). This information is input, for example, when the GW control device 80 is started. The input unit 110 also acquires information indicating that "speed will change" and "turn right or left", that is, information indicating that the driving state will change due to driving assistance, from the GW control device 80 (not shown). This information is input when the speed changes or when turning right or left. A case where the speed changes corresponds to a case where the difference between the speed derived in the GW control device 80 and the current speed is equal to or greater than a threshold value. Note that the input unit 110 inputs only the information indicating that "GW control is in progress", and does not need to input the information indicating that "speed will change" and "turn right or left".

[0059] The output unit 112 outputs the information on the GW control acquired by the input unit 110 to the application management unit 78. Finally, the information on the GW control is included in a packet signal and is notified. As a result, the output unit 112 outputs a notification to other vehicles 12 according to the information on the GW control. In other words, information that driving assistance such as a GW is being received is notified to surrounding vehicles 12.

[0060] When the input unit 110 acquires information on a speed change or information on a right or left turn, the output unit 112 outputs the information to the application management unit 78. Finally, the information is also included in a packet signal and notified. As a result, the output unit 112 outputs a notification to other vehicles 12 according to the information on the speed change or the information on the right or left turn. That is, the surroundings are notified that there is a possibility of acceleration or deceleration due to driving assistance. In particular, the notification is made before the speed actually changes or the right or left turn occurs. A change in speed or a right or left turn corresponds to a change in the driving state due to driving assistance.

[0061] 8(a)-(c) show the data structure of data output from the application processing unit 76. Fig. 8(a) shows a case where information during GW control is included, but information on speed change and information on right / left turns is not included. Fig. 8(b) shows a case where information during GW control and information on speed change are included. Fig. 8(c) shows a case where information during GW control and information on right / left turns are included.

[0062] The operation of the communication system 100 having the above configuration will be described. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the procedure for transmitting a packet signal by the terminal device 14. When the input unit 110 acquires information indicating that the GW is in progress (Y in S10), the output unit 112 transmits a packet signal including the information indicating that the GW is in progress (S12). On the other hand, when the input unit 110 does not acquire information indicating that the GW is in progress (N in S10), the process ends.

[0063] 10 is a flowchart showing another procedure for transmitting a packet signal by the terminal device 14. When the input unit 110 acquires information on a change in the driving state (Y in S20), the output unit 112 transmits a packet signal including the information on the change (S22). On the other hand, when the input unit 110 does not acquire information on a change in the driving state (N in S20), the process ends.

[0064] According to the embodiment of the present invention, when the vehicle acquires information indicating that the vehicle is receiving driving assistance, a notification is output to other vehicles, so that the driver of the other vehicle can be made aware that driving assistance is being provided. In addition, since the driver of the other vehicle is aware that driving assistance is being provided, the driver's stress can be reduced. In addition, the reduction in stress can reduce accidents caused by the vehicle receiving driving assistance.

[0065] In addition, when information indicating speed increase / decrease or right / left turns is acquired, a notification is output to other vehicles, so that the other vehicles can recognize the speed increase / decrease or right / left turn due to driving assistance. In addition, since the notification is sent before the driving state changes, it is possible to clarify that the reason for the notification is speed increase / decrease or right / left turn due to driving assistance. By transmitting the fact that driving assistance is being received to the surroundings, clarifying the reason for the behavior, and informing the surroundings of the behavior in advance, it is possible to avoid accidents or situations that cause discomfort. By understanding and following the driving policy, surrounding vehicles can also indirectly receive assistance from automated driving and green wave driving.

[0066] Example 2 The second embodiment is based on a communication system in which vehicle-to-vehicle communication and road-to-vehicle communication are performed, as in the first embodiment, and relates to a notification device that notifies the surroundings that the acceleration / deceleration or right / left turn of a vehicle is caused by GW driving. In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, a notification device is implemented as an application of a terminal device. The notification device according to the first embodiment recognizes the execution of GW driving by receiving information, but the notification device according to the second embodiment determines the execution of GW driving by itself. Therefore, in the second embodiment, regardless of whether GW driving is being performed or not, if the vehicle is close to GW driving, the notification device mounted on the vehicle notifies that the vehicle is in GW driving. In other words, even if the vehicle is not in an automatic driving state, it is determined whether GW driving is being performed manually, and when it is determined that the vehicle is in GW driving, a notification is issued that the vehicle speed is changed based on traffic light information or the like. The communication system 100, the base station device 10, and the terminal device 14 according to the second embodiment are of the same type as those shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 4, and the differences are mainly described here. Also, the description of 1. Overview of the communication system is omitted, and 2. Notification of GW control is described.

[0067] 11 shows a configuration of an application processing unit 76 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The application processing unit 76 includes an input unit 110, a determination unit 114, and an output unit 112. As in the first embodiment, this corresponds to the configuration related to an application for notifying that the GW is under control among the transmitting side applications executed in the application processing unit 76.

[0068] The input unit 110 may or may not acquire information indicating that "GW control is in progress", that is, information indicating that the vehicle 12 is receiving driving assistance, from the GW control device 80 (not shown). In other words, the processing in the second embodiment does not depend on whether or not information indicating that the vehicle 12 is receiving driving assistance is acquired. On the other hand, similar to the first embodiment, the input unit 110 also acquires information indicating that "the speed will change" and "the vehicle will turn right or left", that is, information indicating that the driving state will change due to driving assistance, from the GW control device 80 (not shown).

[0069] The determination unit 114 receives the speed derived in the GW control device 80 from the GW control device 80. The determination unit 114 also receives the current speed via the acquisition unit 64. The determination unit 114 derives a cumulative value of the difference between these speeds. If the cumulative value is smaller than a threshold value, the determination unit 114 determines that the vehicle 12 is running in a state close to GW running. In other words, the determination unit 114 determines whether the running state of the vehicle 12 is close to the running state achieved by driving assistance, regardless of whether information indicating that the vehicle 12 is receiving driving assistance has been acquired.

[0070] When the determination unit 114 determines that the vehicle 12 is approaching, the output unit 112 outputs information on the GW control being performed to the application management unit 78. That is, the determination unit 114 executes output in the same manner as when the input unit 110 acquires information indicating that the vehicle 12 is receiving driving assistance. In addition, when the determination unit 114 determines that the vehicle 12 is approaching and the input unit 110 acquires information on a speed change or information on a right or left turn, the output unit 112 outputs the information to the application management unit 78.

[0071] 12 is a flowchart showing an estimation procedure by the application processing unit 76. The determination unit 114 inputs the speed under GW control (S30). The determination unit 114 inputs the current speed (S32). If the difference between both speeds is close over a certain period of time (Y of S34), the determination unit 114 considers that the GW control is in progress (S36). If the difference between both speeds is not small (N of S34), step 36 (S36) is skipped.

[0072] According to the embodiment of the present invention, when the actual driving is close to the driving state realized by the driving assistance, the same notification as when the driving assistance is received is executed, so that the driver can recognize that the driving assistance is close to being performed. Also, when the driving is substantially close to the driving assistance, the driver can recognize that the driving is substantially performed during the Golden Week.

[0073] Example 3 As in the past, the third embodiment also relates to a notification device that notifies the surroundings that the acceleration / deceleration or right / left turning of a vehicle is due to Golden Week travel. On the other hand, the third embodiment may or may not be premised on a communication system that performs vehicle-to-vehicle communication and road-to-vehicle communication. The notification device according to the third embodiment notifies that the vehicle is traveling during Golden Week by blinking taillights, etc. Here, the differences will be mainly described.

[0074] FIG. 13 shows the configuration of a notification device 82 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle 12 includes a notification device 82 and a tail lamp 84 in addition to the GW control device 80 and the navigation device 86 shown in FIG. 6. The GW control device 80 and the navigation device 86 are configured in the same manner as before. When the GW control device 80 is executing GW traveling, the notification device 82 receives information indicating that "GW control is in progress" and notifies the surroundings that "GW control is in progress" by blinking the tail lamp 84. This is done, for example, before deceleration. Note that, instead of blinking the tail lamp 84, the turn signal lamp may be blinked. That is, any status display device capable of displaying a status may be used, not limited to the tail lamp 84. Furthermore, instead of blinking, the tail lamp may be lit at a brightness different from normal.

[0075] According to the embodiment of the present invention, since the driver of another vehicle that does not have a terminal device is informed that the vehicle is traveling during the Golden Week by, for example, blinking a lamp, the driver of another vehicle that does not have a terminal device is also made aware that the vehicle is traveling during the Golden Week. Also, since the driver of another vehicle that does not have a terminal device is also made aware that the vehicle is traveling during the Golden Week, the feasibility of the system can be improved.

[0076] The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments. These embodiments are merely illustrative, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component or each treatment process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0077] In the first and second embodiments of the present invention, an ITS, for example, an ITS conforming to the standard of the 700 MHz band Intelligent Transport System, is used for communication between the multiple terminal devices 14. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the communication between the multiple terminal devices 14 may be performed according to CSMA / CA such as wireless LAN. According to this modification, the degree of freedom of communication between the multiple terminal devices 14 can be improved.

[0078] In the first to third embodiments of the present invention, the driving assistance is targeted at Golden Week driving. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, normal automatic driving may be targeted at the driving assistance, instead of Golden Week driving. According to this modification, the target of the driving assistance can be expanded.

[0079] In the first embodiment of the present invention, the notification by the output unit 112 is actually performed before the speed changes or the vehicle turns right or left. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, if the vehicle 12 is equipped with a device for collision prevention, when an obstacle is detected, the notification may be performed before braking the vehicle 12. According to this modification, since the notification is performed before braking, the occurrence of a collision accident can be suppressed.

[0080] Any combination of the first to third embodiments is also effective. According to this modification, the effects of any combination of the first to third embodiments can be obtained.

[0081] In each of the above embodiments, the packet signal may be compliant with the 700 MHz band Intelligent Transport Systems standard.

[0082] An overview of one aspect of the present invention is as follows: A notification device according to one aspect of the present invention is a notification device mounted on a vehicle, and includes an acquisition unit that acquires information indicating that the vehicle is receiving driving assistance, and an output unit that outputs a notification to other vehicles in accordance with the information acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0083] According to this aspect, when the vehicle acquires information indicating that it is receiving driving assistance, a notification is output to other vehicles, so that the other vehicles can be made aware that driving assistance is being provided.

[0084] The acquisition unit may also acquire information indicating that the driving state will be changed by the driving assistance, and the output unit may output a notification to other vehicles when the acquisition unit acquires information indicating that the driving state will be changed by the driving assistance. In this case, when the acquisition unit acquires information indicating that the driving state will be changed, the output unit outputs a notification to other vehicles, so that the change in the driving state due to the driving assistance can be recognized.

[0085] When the acquisition unit acquires information indicating that the driving state will be changed by the driving assistance, the output unit may output a notification to other vehicles before the driving state is changed. In this case, since the notification is given before the driving state is changed, the reason for the notification can be clarified.

[0086] The vehicle may further include a determination unit that determines whether the driving state of the vehicle is close to a driving state realized by driving assistance, regardless of whether the acquisition unit has acquired information indicating that the vehicle is receiving driving assistance. When the determination unit determines that the driving state is close, the output unit may execute output in the same manner as when the acquisition unit has acquired information indicating that the vehicle is receiving driving assistance. In this case, when the driving state is close to a driving state realized by driving assistance, a notification is executed in the same manner as when driving assistance is being received, so that the vehicle can recognize that driving assistance is close to being provided.

[0087] The device may further include a wireless unit that transmits a packet signal including the notification output from the output unit. In this case, since the notification is included in the packet signal, the notification can be widely disseminated.

[0088] The device may further include a display unit that lights up in accordance with the notification output from the output unit. In this case, since the display unit lights up in accordance with the notification, the notification can be directly notified.

[0089] Another aspect of the present invention is a vehicle equipped with a notification device, the notification device including an acquisition unit that acquires information indicating that the vehicle is receiving driving assistance, and an output unit that outputs a notification to another vehicle in accordance with the information acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0090] According to this aspect, when the vehicle acquires information indicating that it is receiving driving assistance, a notification is output to other vehicles, so that the other vehicles can be made aware that driving assistance is being provided. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 10 base station device, 12 vehicle, 14 terminal device, 20 antenna, 22 RF unit, 24 modulation / demodulation unit, 26 processing unit, 28 control unit, 30 network communication unit, 32 frame determination unit, 34 selection unit, 36 generation unit, 50 antenna, 52 RF unit, 54 modulation / demodulation unit, 56 processing unit, 58 control unit, 60 timing identification unit, 62 forwarding decision unit, 64 acquisition unit, 66 generation unit, 68 user IF unit, 70 notification unit, 72 extraction unit, 74 carrier sense unit, 76 application processing unit, 78 application management unit, 80 GW control device, 86 navigation device, 100 communication system, 110 input unit, 112 output unit. [Industrial Applicability]

[0092] According to the present invention, accidents caused by vehicles receiving driving assistance can be reduced.

Claims

1. 1. An apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: An acquisition unit that acquires information indicating that the vehicle is traveling in an autonomous driving mode, and an output unit that outputs, based on the information, an instruction to a display unit to display that the vehicle is traveling in an autonomous driving mode, The output unit is lighting up a display unit according to an instruction output from the output unit; The display unit displays information about an autonomous driving type automatic driving in which the vehicle drives autonomously, and the display is displayed on the rear side, The display is configured to allow drivers of other vehicles to recognize that the vehicle is traveling in an autonomous driving mode. Device.

2. The information regarding the autonomous driving of the autonomous driving type that performs the autonomous driving is information indicating that the autonomous driving of the autonomous driving type that performs the autonomous driving is in progress.

2. The apparatus of claim 1.

3. Furthermore, a derivation unit that derives a route to a destination; A control unit that controls a moving speed and a traveling direction of the vehicle to assist in driving the vehicle independently in an autonomous driving manner along the derived route; The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:

4. The display unit is a direction indicator light.

2. The apparatus of claim 1.

5. The display unit is a lamp.

2. The apparatus of claim 1.

6. The display unit is illuminated at a brightness different from normal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1.

7. the apparatus further comprising a monitor for displaying a map image reflecting the derived route.

4. The apparatus of claim 3.

8. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the route to the destination includes an intersection.

9. A vehicle comprising a device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. 1. A control method for a vehicle, comprising: acquiring information indicating that the vehicle is traveling in an autonomous driving mode, and outputting an instruction to a display unit that lights up in accordance with the instruction to display that the vehicle is traveling in an autonomous driving mode based on the information; The display unit displays information about an autonomous driving type automatic driving in which the vehicle drives autonomously, and the display is displayed on the rear side, The display is configured to allow drivers of other vehicles to recognize that the vehicle is traveling in an autonomous driving mode. Control methods.

11. The information regarding the autonomous driving of the autonomous driving type that performs the autonomous driving is information indicating that the autonomous driving of the autonomous driving type that performs the autonomous driving is in progress. The control method according to claim 10.

12. In addition, a route to the destination is derived, Controlling the travel speed and travel direction of the vehicle to assist in driving the vehicle independently in an autonomous driving manner along the derived route. The control method according to claim 10.

13. The display unit is a direction indicator light. The control method according to claim 10.

14. The display unit is a lamp. The control method according to claim 10.

15. The display unit is illuminated at a brightness different from normal. The control method according to claim 10.

16. displaying a map image reflecting the derived route on a monitor; The control method according to claim 12.

17. The control method according to claim 12 , wherein the route to the destination includes an intersection.

18. A program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 10.

19. A vehicle, Equipped with a lighted display, The display unit displays information about an autonomous driving type automatic driving in which the vehicle drives autonomously, and the display is displayed on the rear side, The display unit is configured to allow drivers of other vehicles to recognize that the driving assistance of the vehicle is due to autonomous driving. vehicle.

20. The information regarding the autonomous driving of the autonomous driving type that performs the autonomous driving is information indicating that the autonomous driving of the autonomous driving type that performs the autonomous driving is in progress.

20. A vehicle as claimed in claim 19.

21. A display device, comprising: Equipped with a lighted display, The display unit displays information about an autonomous driving type automatic driving in which the vehicle drives autonomously, and the display is displayed on the rear side, The display unit is configured to allow a driver of another vehicle to recognize that the driving assistance of the vehicle is due to autonomous driving. Display device.

22. The information regarding the autonomous driving of the autonomous driving type that performs the autonomous driving is information indicating that the autonomous driving of the autonomous driving type that performs the autonomous driving is in progress. The display device according to claim 21.

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